Pray Like You Understand, Because Maybe You Do
“Wow! I never thought about it that way before!”
A number of years ago I had a “wow” moment with God which I’ve never forgotten. These types of experiences aren’t new to me as He is always teaching me things, but some are more memorable than others, and when they occur, I always learn something new or see something old in a different way.
The pastor of our church had just been diagnosed with brain cancer. Although we hadn’t been a part of this congregation very long, we felt a strong connection to this man and his wife. They were not pretentious in their leadership role, but easy to talk to and we connected with them. So when his diagnosis was announced at church that morning, our hearts were broken. The congregation joined in prayer for his healing and for God to be with them as they traversed the days ahead.
As I silently prayed, God began to bring words to my mind. They came quickly and with intensity, so I grabbed pen and paper and wrote as fast as I could. Sometimes I feel like I am God’s secretary and He dictates faster than I can keep up! Sentences poured out, detailed and specific. Medical terminology specific to pastor’s condition were written; words that reflected knowledge down to the cellular level of a physical body. I stood and looked at it. I had never prayed like that before, and never had they been so specific.
I was a nurse who had used my training for the treatment of physical conditions, but now my knowledge was being used for the spiritual. I Corinthians 14:15 immediately came to mind. "So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding..." (NIV) I had read that verse many times before, but suddenly it rang anew in my mind. A light clicked on. In the past, I interpreted it to mean we should pray in the Spirit and also pray in English, or ones native, or understood language. But on this Sunday, God revealed something a little deeper to me. I could pray with understanding, true understanding.
Dictionary.com defines understanding as "the knowledge of or a familiarity with a particular thing; skill in dealing with or handling something." I had skill in the medical profession. I had a knowledge base that many others didn't have. That specialized knowledge gave me the ability to pray very specific, very pointed words into the battle for our pastor's health and life. I had insight and mastery (command, expertise) in the cellular functioning of the human body and illness. When I prayed, I spoke with God-given knowledge; knowledge I had gained in my career, but now used for another purpose-- in-depth, targeted prayer.
You may not have a specific skill set such as a medical background, but you do have understanding in many other respects. God has gifted each one of us. We have natural abilities we are born with, and we have expertise acquired through various avenues of education. But we also have the knowledge we obtain through the "college of hard knocks."
Some people experience domestic situations which are horrible. Some experience loss of property through storms or fire. Some experience homelessness, lost jobs and finances, or suffer physical ailments and crippling diseases. We all gather experiences, both good and bad. Two of my children died in infancy and I went through a debilitating experience with depression. I understand the trauma and pain of those situations to a greater depth than if they had never been a part of my life, and far more than someone who has never struggled with either.
We can only see the outside of people's lives while we try to imagine what they are going through. I have friends who have experienced a cancer diagnosis. I can empathize with them, but I do not have the ability to know what it feels like to hear those dreaded words the first time. I don't know what it's like to walk into the hospital for treatment which may cause me sickness and pain in order to bring the hoped for cure. I don't know what it's like to lose my hair.
I don't know what it's like to have my house burn to the ground with all my possessions and memories lost forever. I don't know what it's like trying to find immediate housing for my family, or to even find clothes to wear the next day. I don't know the trauma and heartache it brings.
I don't know what it's like to lose a business or have my finances crash or have my spouse be unfaithful or abusive. I don't know what it's like to live with constant, unabating pain day after day. I don't know what it's like to experience those things, but maybe you do. You have an understanding that others don't.
Our life experiences give us a unique knowledge base to use when we pray. We can pray in the Spirit as He directs, but we can also pray with understanding, insight into, expertise...mastery. Our prayers can be launched with pinpoint accuracy into a situation like a flaming arrow.
To simplify; if someone asked me for food, I would give it to them. It may not be exactly what they hoped for, but it would be answering their request. If they asked me specifically for a creamy peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich on white bread with the crusts cut off, it is a much more specific request; one that can be responded to with great accuracy. When they obtain the desired sandwich, it builds their confidence that the next time they ask they will get what they hoped for. Their faith in the food provider is built. However, if they were having surgery the next day, I wouldn't give them food at all, no matter how specific or adamant their request. It wouldn't be good for them in that situation. In fact, it could cause them more harm than good. So even though their faith had previously been built up in the food provider, they now need to trust the provider to know what is best for them.
Prayer can be like the food analogy above. We often pray to God rather generically. "Heal Mr. Brown." "Provide for the needs of the Smith family." There is nothing wrong with this as He hears all of our prayers, but sometimes we have the ability to really go to battle for a person's need, or for a situation, but we don't realize we have the tools or weaponry to do so. We often negate the importance of our earthly knowledge base when it comes to prayer. We have the privilege of bringing our God-given talents and abilities--our understanding--not only into this earthly realm, but into the spiritual realm. Our gifts aren't just for us here in the workplace or neighborhood, they are useful in God's kingdom.
Does it mean that when we pray with increased specificity God is obligated to fulfill our requests? No, not any more than any other prayer. God is still sovereign and rules over all, knowing far beyond our capabilities what is best for all. But it shouldn't deter us from using what He has gifted us with to pursue His best: to make requests or to fight for ourselves or others with all the wisdom and knowledge He has granted.
When someone hears you pray for them with understanding, your words can bring an amazing level of comfort. The feeling of "I am not alone. Someone truly understands," can bring immense reassurance to the hurting individual. It brings hope and healing. After I shared my written prayer with our pastor, he said it was the most meaningful prayer he had received. It was specific to what the doctors had told him, as well. It built his faith knowing that God did indeed know what he was experiencing and what his specific needs were. It brought comfort and reassurance to his heart and soul. Your prayers can do the same.
When we pray using precise words of understanding, we become keenly aware of when God answers our prayers in a specific way. For example, we can pray for someone to be healed, but if we pray for their white blood cell counts to return to normal levels within 24 hours and they do, we not only rejoice, but it builds our faith. It trains us to recognize that God truly does hear and answer our prayers, and encourages us to trust Him even more.
God hears and answers all of our prayers; whether a whispered word, a cry of heartache, a shout of victory, or a detailed and pointed word we utter with understanding. He hears them all, but I love it when God shows me something different, or awakens me to new ways of being used in His kingdom. I want to be an effective prayer warrior for Him, but warriors don't go into battle empty handed. They go armed. Prayer is one of those weapons we bring to the fight. We can bring our knowledge, our experiences, our expertise, and our understanding to the battle.
Others are waiting for you to come alongside and fight with them and for them. The next time you encounter an opportunity to pray for someone, bring your understanding with you into the spiritual realm. Amazing things will happen.